Step 3: Holding things together

Step 4: Load up and take down

1) pin the ladder rails to the roof top rails, make sure the teeth are facing upward 2) lay the boat or canoe on its side next to the car 3)lay the u...

I have a 17 foot Coleman canoe, weighing in at nearly 90 lbs, not the easiest to flip, shoulder and land on the roof of my minivan with out assistance. while I have made another device to make loading the canoe easy, http://www.instructables.com/id/easy-way-to-cartop-a-canoe-or-boat/ it interferes with using the cargo carrier in the receiver hitch for my kids boats. so I dug deep into my memory and dredged this up from an old pop sci from the 60's or 70's.
With a little modification any roof rack will work, and make roof top loading easy for you.

Step 1: A solid foundation

you need a roof rack to tie onto first, I have seen many possible types, from the fancy expensive Yakima or Thule ones to a simple galvanized pipe one a guy I worked with had. Here is another idea http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-Bearer-of-Burdens/
My minivan has a factory installed rack, I plan on adding a 2X4" to the top of each factory bow so the rack extends out enough to allow the ladder to be attached.
In my pictures I show two different ideas on ladder attachment one shows a pin through the roof rail and the other an extension that ia attached to the end of the rail, the first would be stronger but either would work.

great idea...i had the same errr simular idea for our HEAVY canoe, but then sold it n bought a speed boat. my square aluminum tubed homemade roof rack would provide a hollow to insert smaller square tubing made in the shape or angle as a hockey stick. no teeth as my design was intended for me n my weak girlfriend to slide it up together. the sawtooth design and solo loading is awesome though...GREAT JOB!!!